Іnnovative Іndustrіеs Development Leаd

The Ukraine Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) (8/27/2018 – 8/26/2026) was designed to strengthen the economy and improve the resilience of businesses and communities in eastern Ukraine following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the seizure of territory in the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions by Russian backed separatists.

The further Economic Resilience Activity’s work will be centered on three pillars:

1. Stabilization and Inclusion: building the capabilities of vulnerable populations to be able to capitalize on entrepreneurial and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) economic opportunities;
2. Business Revival: helping MSMEs relocate and rebuild marketing and supply chains; and
3. New Economy: working with coalitions and leaders to build confidence in the sustainable Ukrainian state, articulate a vision for the future, and put in place the building blocks for a modern, diverse, and MSME-friendly economy post-war.

Now, ERA is looking to extend the work in the innovative industries (including, but not limited to, support for the following businesses)

-               Product-based IT companies* and startups* – not including traditional /outsourcing type IT businesses.

-               Industry 4.0 product manufacturers and developers (IoT, smart products, etc.)

-               Companies with a significant level of novelty and innovativeness that do not fall into the previous categories

About the job

The Innovative Industries Development Lead will organize the conduct of comprehensive stakeholder analysis and build the pipeline of promising companies and startups. The Lead will also organize and provide the TA programs to leverage internal and external resources to reach the goals of sustainable development of the existing businesses in Ukraine, their stay, and tax revenues growth inside the country. Facilitate the creation of new companies working in innovative industries. As a result, supported companies shall achieve the following goals to the most extent possible:

-               Revenue growth in Ukraine

-               New investments raised

-               New markets entered

-               New jobs created

The Innovative Industries Development Lead coordinates the efforts of different ERA instruments such as (including but not limited to) subcontracts, direct procurement, consultancies, and grants to achieve the goals set for the ERA Innovative Industries sector. The Innovative Industries Development Lead reports to Business Revival/Growth Component (II) Manager and is based in Kyiv (remote mode until further notice).

Technical Tasks:  

• Perform a comprehensive industry assessment based on the available and relevant research to organize additional research if needed. Performit regularly,update results.
• Develop a comprehensive strategic approach to the support. Identify target audience(s) and develop support programs that meet the goals and criteria.
• Build a pipeline of eligible companies, and ensure timely awareness and access to the provisional TA programs.
• Develop and implement the programs through leveraging ERA internal as well as external resources (VC, donor-funded innovation support (e.g., Horizon Europe) from the U.S., EU, and G7 countries).
• Develop consultancy assistance for addressing bottlenecks of sales, marketing, finances, strategy, and other elements of business performance.
• Build partnerships with major public (e.g., Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Ukrainian Startup Fund) and private sector actors (IT/I4.0 corporations) to ensure Private Sector Engagement to address the development goals through the blend of ERA and external resources.
• Develop export acceleration and support programs to help beneficiaries reach new markets.

Others

• Prepare procurement technical documents (RPF, RFQ), SOWs

Grants Management: in coordination with the Grant Management team,

• Work with grant recipients and ERA technical staff to develop new grant proposals and ensure that they are aligned with the USAID ERA objectives and performance indicators;
• Provide technical assistance to grant recipients to support the implementation of their grant agreements;
• Coordinate with procurement personnel following the purchases approved under grant contracts.

Monitoring & Evaluation:  in coordination with the M&E team,

• Support data collection during the implementation of the technical tasks;
• Monitor the implementation of activities according to the ERA M&E plan;
• Provide information and data to the M&E team in a required format.

Communication: in coordination with the Communication team,

• Professionally represent ERA to relevant stakeholders;
• Foster ongoing positive cooperation with the stakeholders and ERA staff;
• Ensure that the correct USAID ERA branding and marking are utilized during the performance of the technical tasks.

Reporting:

• Maintain records of all activities using existing reporting tools;
• Prepare accurate and timely quarterly progress reports and contribute to the preparation of annual reports;
• Compile technical information for the Growth Manager and ERA Senior Management Team (SMT) upon request.

About you

Required

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in IT, Venture Capital, Innovations;
• Master’s Degree preferred (IT, Management, Law, Economics, Engineering);
• Good understanding of sectoral development and donor-funded principles;
• Ability to work well independently and with a team;
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills;
• Detail-oriented with good organization and prioritization skills;
• Excellent computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office and Outlook;
• Written and spoken fluency in Ukrainian and English

Desirable

• Experience in business management is an advantage;
• Experience in a relevant role in donor-funded projects or international development projects is an advantage;
• Experience in the investment sector is an advantage;

In this position, you are expected to share the DAI’s four core values:

• Integrity: commit to civil and ethical behavior, play by the rules, and do the right thing;
• Responsibility: Be accountable to clients, partners, grant recipients, beneficiaries, colleagues, and communities where we work. If you fall short, you own up, fix the problem, and get it right the next time;
• Excellence: adhere to the highest technical and professional standards in innovation, learning, and service;
• Global Citizenship: respect the cultural diversity and treat everyone everywhere with professionalism and dignity to make the world a better place.

We offer

Contract length: 12 months with possible extension

Designation of Duty Location: Kyiv (remote work)

Start date: April, 2023

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with USAID ERA Terms of Employment and the Ukrainian Labor Code.

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to [email protected]. Only selected candidates with relevant experience will be contacted for an interview.

Closing date for applications: March 9, 2023, COB

For further information about the USAID ERA implemented by DAI Global LLC, please consult our website: https://era-ukraine.org.ua/.